Comic return to Corrie for Roache

Actor William Roache is set to return to Coronation Street after being cleared of historic sex offences

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Coronation Street star William Roache is being lined up for a comic storyline as he makes his return to the show for the time since he was cleared of historic sex offences.

The 82-year-old actor will be seen coming back to the ITV soap for his character Ken Barlow to whisk wife Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) off for a romantic trip to North Wales on a caravan holiday.

Roache, the world's longest-serving soap actor, has been off screens for more than a year, with his character said to be staying with his grandson Adam in Canada. But he is now due to begin filming in the next fortnight.

The show's executive producer, Stuart Blackburn, told the Irish Mirror: "I'm going to give Ken and Deirdre a little holiday - a caravan in North Wales. What could possibly go wrong?

"Ken raises the idea of going on holiday and she's busy scanning the papers for places in Monaco or Barbados, something like that. Then he pulls up in a hired caravan going 'Let's go to North Wales!'," he added.

The scenes, which are expected to air in the summer, will help lighten the mood on the Bafta-winning soap, following the upcoming murder of Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan).

Mr Blackburn said: "Ken is going to come back to a really dark time. But Tina's murder storyline won't be the only one that dominates for him. We are going to have some fun as well."

Roache was found not guilty of rape and indecent assault charges following a four-week trial at Preston Crown Court in February.

Yesterday he was pictured on the new Street set, his first appearance on the recently-built home for the show, alongside the rest of the cast.

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